Keith Adams, once a finance guy, turned cheesemaker back in 2009 when he transformed his first vat of locally sourced milk into cheese. Based on Old World standards, Pont l’Eveque and Reblochon, Good Thunder is an orange, wrinkly-rind square of dense cream line and creamy paste that spreads wonderfully over torn pieces of fresh bread and sturdy crackers. It’s washed with a local Minnesota craft beer, Surly Bender, and picks up funk and smoothness as it ages. And it goes great with malty ales and well-seasoned salami. Read More

Pungent, tangy, aromatic and shaped like the leg of the animal whose milk it is made with. Yum! A washed-rind variety made in very small quantities. When young, it is fruity and refined with a robust ''kick'' at the finish. With a little extra age, it becomes more pungent and powerful. Read More

Who needs a flute when your cheese can hold your bubbly for you? Made in Champagne and finished with a concave top designed to hold a bit of the eponymous sparkler, cheesemakers wash each little cow’s milk round with brine and then rub it with raccou, a natural colorant derived from a tropical shrub. Read More